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NewsDay

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Zanu PF vows to descend on MDC-T councils

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Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has warned that the ruling party is planning a massive onslaught targeting MDC-T-dominated councils over poor service delivery.

Zanu PF national political commissar has warned that the ruling party is planning a massive onslaught targeting MDC-T-dominated councils over poor service delivery.

MOSES MATENGA/Xolisani Ncube

Kasukuwere issued the warning last week, blaming the main opposition-led councils of providing shoddy services.

“Frank discussion on urban matters is going to be core in addressing the malaise. It can’t be business as usual, the time has come,” Kasukuwere, who is also Environment, Water and Climate minister, said on micro blogging site Twitter.

“Zanu PF will now have to start addressing urban challenges head on. Service delivery and incompetence of local authorities concerned,” he added.

But Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni hit back, saying it was wrong for Kasukuwere to solely blame local authorities for failing to deliver.

“It is the whole country that is failing and urban councils are part of that. Targeting urban councils as if we are the only ones failing is not correct. The whole country is on its knees and on our part, we are trying our best under difficult conditions,” Manyenyeni said.

Several local authorities have been hit by severe cash flow problems which have sparked worker unrest resulting in poor service delivery. They have also been inundated by an influx of street vendors, mostly sponsored by the ruling party causing mayhem in the city centres.

Meanwhile, Kasukuwere last Friday warned vendors to stop littering and selling their wares in front of conventional shops.

Speaking at the Grean Concert night in Harare, Kasukuwere said although he was not against vending, he did not support “careless vending currently experienced in Harare”.

“We don’t want to see people vending in front of shops and on the pavements outside shops such as OK Zimbabwe or Pick and Pay. We don’t want chaos in our city. People must vend at designated places and not throw litter anywhere,” he said.

Vending has become a livelihood for millions of Zimbabweans who are now jobless due to the continued economic collapse.

Due to government’s failure to create meaningful jobs, almost all city streets are littered with vendors and in most cases, they block free flow of traffic and sell in front of large retail shops.

Kasukuwere also rapped housing co-operatives that were building homes at undesignated sites including on wetlands.